


You Gon' Get Some

by anxioushufflepuff



Series: How To Be Seduced By Your Very Attractive Boss [2]
Category: Mr. Robot (TV)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Elliot only frequently cares about punctuation, Elliot works at E Corp, Fluff, I will add more tags as the story progresses, Kinda, M/M, Office Romance, Online Dating, So yeah, Tyrell is madly in love with Elliot, Tyrell really enjoys emojis pls don't judge, Tyrell wants to show Elliot how special he is in every way possible, but here we are, sending nudes, the rating will go up folks, the smutty office rom-com no one asked for, this will involve a lot of sex, two dorks in love, well semi-nudes at this point
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-15
Updated: 2019-03-17
Packaged: 2019-06-27 22:21:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15694509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anxioushufflepuff/pseuds/anxioushufflepuff
Summary: A Dating App. The chance to anonymously talk to his very attractive boss. What could possibly go wrong?Nothing, right?Everything.





	1. One Life Feigning Order

**Author's Note:**

> Or, you know..
> 
> It could result in mind blowing sex.

Elliot Alderson had a very strict routine.

His alarm woke him at precisely 5:15 am and he would spend five minutes in bed, mentally preparing himself for the day ahead. At 5:20 am he got up, dragged his feet into the bathroom and took a shower. Put on his work uniform (a basic blue shirt and black pants) and had breakfast at 5:35 am. Alone. Darlene would never get up this early. Elliot didn’t mind - it privileged him with a little time on his own on days that were already filled with too much unnecessary social interaction anyway. 

Elliot brushed his teeth at 5:55 am. At 6 am sharp, he left the house, walked to the next train station and was always in time to border the train that would take him to his work place at 6:13 am. 

His work place.. E Corp. Or as he liked to sarcastically call it _Evil Corp_. Elliot still couldn’t believe that Angela talked him into accepting the job offer. He hated the company and yet he was now working for them. He often had to remind himself that he needed the money and that he’d start looking for a better job once he was more financially stable.

At 6:30 am Elliot arrived at the office. Regular office hours started at seven but he liked to be early. He enjoyed the first half hour alone in his cubicle, loved the silence that surrounded him. He would boot his computer and immediately went to work, ignoring his colleagues who started arriving around a quarter to seven. He sat on his desk until 1 pm, usually had lunch with Angela (otherwise he’d quickly heat up some food in the microwave), then went back to work until 6 pm. 

Officially, Elliot was allowed to leave at 4 pm but he hated taking the train during that time; it was too crowded, too noisy. Plus, Evil Corp paid extra hours so it wasn’t like he was wasting any time — every hour spent at this place brought him closer to his own apartment.

Elliot loved his sister but spending more time with her than strictly necessary was exhausting. Darlene was a people person. Elliot was not. He craved his own place and couldn’t wait to finally be on his own again. 

He would usually arrive at Darlene’s place at half past seven, had dinner with her and went up to his room while she took off, probably meeting her on-off girlfriend.

Finally, he had some much needed time on his own. It was just him and his computer that he immediately turned on. Unlike the average person, however, Elliot would never start any type of video game or go on social media platforms. In the silence of his room Elliot Alderson the inconspicuous employee of a multi-national conglomerate would start hacking the very same company he was working for. 

Usually these were minor hacks, really. He just wanted to find out more about his superiors. Sometimes though, Elliot would carefully swap certain files, change a few orders or work schedules, making sure that the co-workers he actually did like had it a little easier and would not get in trouble with their bosses.

As much as Elliot disliked the company of people, he was fascinated by them. He loved finding out as much about other people as possible without the hassle of actually interacting with anyone. And if he had the chance to help someone along the way, he might as well take it, right?

Elliot would do this until he could barely keep his eyes open. He’d finally go to bed and got a few hours of sleep that were never enough.

Elliot Alderson had his routine and he stuck to it almost religiously. That was until one man decided to talk to him and, by that action, completely threw him off balance. 

 

-

 

It all started out as a regular day — Elliot got up, followed his mourning routine step by step and went to work. So far, nothing unusual happened. The train didn’t have a delay and he was the first and only person to arrive in the office which gave him a little time before a meeting that had been moved forward spontaneously and that he was supposed to attend. 

... At least, he had assumed that he was the only one in the office. It very quickly turned out that he was wrong. While Elliot was busy logging in, he didn’t hear the steps coming closer, so when someone suddenly started talking, he almost jumped out of his seat.

“Oh, hi! I didn’t expect anyone to be here this early. All the better that it’s you!”

Elliot blinked and slowly looked up. A man was standing next to his cubicle. He was wearing a very expensive-looking suit, his brown hair was neatly combed back and he had remarkable blue eyes. The man was —

“Tyrell Wellick, I’m the Senior Vice President of Technology but you probably already knew that,” Tyrell introduced himself, offering his hand for a greeting which Elliot timidly accepted. Tyrell had a light accent, almost unnoticeable. A charming smile graced his features.

Of course Elliot knew who he was. Not only was this his superior, Tyrell was quite the public figure. Not knowing about him would insult Elliot’s ... _research_ abilities.

“Elliot. Just a tech,” Elliot finally responded after a moment of silence. Since he was awkward at first meetings (especially if they involved his very famous, very attractive boss), he stiffly stuck to the words he typically used to introduce himself.

“Don’t be so humble,” Tyrell said nonchalantly. “I’ve heard quite a lot about you. You seem to have impressed some of the higher-ups, E Corp doesn’t hire just anyone. Who knows where you’ll end up in a few months. And just so you know, I started out exactly where you are and.. to be honest, my heart is still there.”

Not knowing how to reply, Elliot turned his gaze back to his computer screen. He didn’t want to be rude, he was just very nervous to be around such a powerful man. And small talk wasn’t one of his strong suits anyway. 

“So I see you’re running Gnome,” Tyrell went on, apparently not bothered by Elliot’s silence. “You know, I’m actually on KDE myself. I know the desktop environment is supposed to be better but you know what they say - old habits, they die hard.”

Elliot frowned. His gaze flickered back to Tyrell. From what he had seen, everyone else was using Windows and the former CTO, Terry Colby, even had an old Blackberry. It was surprising to hear that an executive was actually using efficient tools.

“Yeah, I know what you’re thinking,” Tyrell chuckled. “I’m an executive, I mean, why am I even running Linux? Again, old habits,” He casually shrugged.

Elliot’s mind was racing and his heart was beating fast. What was he supposed to say? This was exactly the kind of situation he was most anxious about. He was not good at talking to people, he never knew what people were expecting him to say or what to do. But he was also afraid of making a bad impression by not saying anything. And why was Tyrell even here? 

“I’m here for a meeting,” Tyrell answered Elliot’s unspoken question, making the younger man even more nervous. Why the hell was Tyrell so good at reading him? Usually people were put off by his behavior and read his silence as indifference.

“They usually don’t start this early but Mr. Price has a flight to catch for an important meeting with the Chinese Prime Minister so we have to do it now,” Tyrell leisurely went on.

Elliot couldn’t help but notice that Tyrell’s eyes stayed fixed on him the entire time. They only flickered downwards once so he could take a look at his watch, “Speaking of, we should get going and join the others.” 

...  
Oh! Right. The meeting. The meeting that had been moved forward. The one he was also invited to. Elliot had not realized how much time had passed. A quick glance around the room showed that his co workers had started to arrive. 

Tyrell smiled, “It’s almost seven. Mr. Price doesn’t like tardiness.” 

Elliot nodded slowly. Never had the thought occurred to him that Tyrell and him would attend the same meeting. That was until now. The realization froze him on the spot and he blankly stared at his screen. 

A hand on his shoulder jumped him back to reality. Quite literally. His wide eyes met Tyrell’s calm gaze. The other man chuckled to himself and squeezed Elliot’s shoulder gently but insistent. “Come on.”

“Sure,” Elliot replied in a husky voice, rising from his chair. The spot where Tyrell had touched him burned through his shirt even though Tyrell had already let go.

They made their way over to the conference room in silence. Elliot wondered if he was the only one extremely uncomfortable. He fiddled with the hem of his shirt as they entered the room. Almost all of the attendees were already there but thankfully Mr. Price had not arrived yet. 

A wave of relief washed over Elliot as soon as he saw Angela, his only childhood friend. He gave her a weak smile. She inclined her head a little, obviously confused as to why Elliot would enter the room together with such a higher-up. Elliot curled his eye brows in a small gesture to express that he was just as confused as she was. Thankfully Angela understood what he was trying to tell her non-verbally. She turned her gaze to her phone and started typing. 

In the meantime, Tyrell escorted Elliot to a free seat and left him there to go to his own place. Shortly after, Elliot’s phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out and opened his text messages.

**To: Elliot**  


> **(06:58)** Okay, you **have** to tell me what that was all about! wdyt about lunch?

**To: Angela**  


> **(06:59)** sure

**To: Elliot**  


> **(06:59)** 😃👍

Meanwhile, Mr. Price and the rest of the people had arrived. Since Elliot wasn’t really interested in anything they had to say, he started to get lost in his own thoughts. He wasn’t thinking about anything in particular, his mind started to wander to a lot of different places. His wish of having his own place to live came up as well as the consideration if he should shave his undercut soon. 

Elliot incidentally noticed that Tyrell took over. So of course his brain decided that it was now time to think about the man. The suit of Tyrell was so obviously tailored - it fit him perfectly and was tight at just the right places. Tyrell looked _really_ good. The way the fabric clung to him while he moved was almost ridiculous. Almost. It was more attractive than anything else. His hair, of course, also looked extremely nice. And his face even more so. Tyrell looked like he could easily be a model. Elliot was trying his best to look like he was focused and listening, and definitely not checking out his superior. He didn’t catch one word. That was, until Tyrell mentioned his name. 

“.. and that’s why I think Mr. Alderson is best suited to work with me.”

Elliot’s attention immediately snapped back to reality, however Tyrell was already at the end of his speech and all Elliot caught was something about a project he was supposed to be working on together with Tyrell. He had missed all of the relevant information. Elliot caught Tyrell’s gaze and swallowed. He nodded automatically because he could feel everyone else staring at him. He didn’t know what he had got himself into but it’s not like he was in a position to say no.

Tyrell seemed to have come to the end of his speech. He sat down and someone else took over.

Elliot’s mind started racing while he blankly stared at a dark spot on the conference table. What kind of project could it be that Tyrell wanted to work with him? He had only been there a month. In that time he had not worked on something that had shown his superiors his true skills.

_“All the better that it’s you!”_

Elliot remembered Tyrell’s earlier statement. What exactly did Tyrell mean by that? How could he possibly know about Elliot? Sure, Elliot’s employment wasn’t very common but considering all he knew about Tyrell, he had the impression that the other man wasn’t one who took a huge interest in his subordinates.

Hell, Elliot had found various reports and mails from other employees that have pointed out how intimidating Tyrell could be. Some have even mentioned that he had yelled at them at several occasions. To Elliot, however, Tyrell had been nothing but nice and calm so far. Not that they had spent a lot of time together. This morning had been their first interaction.

This was all very confusing...

A sudden nudge on his shoulder yanked him out of his thoughts. It was Angela who reminded him that the meeting was over and that it was time for their lunch break. She didn’t say anything about Elliot’s obvious absence. Elliot got up and they made their way out of the room, passing Tyrell. Elliot’s gaze was fixed on the carpet. But apparently that was not enough to avoid Tyrell’s attention. The man stopped Elliot by stepping in his way. He gave Angela a short nod. She seemed to understand and unfortunately left Elliot alone with the man he had been swooning over for the last few hours. 

Tyrell grabbed Elliot by his shoulders. Elliot finally looked up and their eyes met.

“It’s gonna be fun working with you,” Tyrell’s expression seemed more intense than before, it was impossible for Elliot to look away. 

“Y-Yeah.” A bead of sweat was running down Elliot’s temple. Thankfully, Tyrell quickly let go of him.

Tyrell started to leave but before he went out of the room, he turned around once more.

“Bonsoir, Elliot!” 

The charming smile was back and Tyrell waved at him before disappearing out of Elliot’s sight.

For a moment, Elliot remained frozen on the spot, trying his best to gain control of his breathing again. His mind was racing. Not being able to understand what the hell just happened, he quickly fled the scene. 

Angela was waiting for him by the elevators.

“So what was that all about?”

“Hm?” Shit, did she notice his attraction to his boss?

“The project, duh! You have only been working here for a month and the Senior Vice President of Technology already wants to work with you. You seriously must have impressed the right people!”

Elliot shrugged dismissively. He’d always preferred to work alone. Not only that but working together with someone he might have a crush on? Yeah, thanks, he’d gladly pass on that if he had the chance.

Angela gave him a friendly nudge. “Chatty as always, I see,” she said while they entered one of the elevators.

Elliot knew that she didn’t mind. They’ve known each other since childhood and Elliot had always been like this. Angela understood him and Elliot was grateful for it. She was one of the only friends he had.

“There’s a new Greek restaurant just around the corner that I’ve wanted to try out,” she said and pressed the bottom that would take them to the ground floor.

“Sure,” Elliot said absently. He was still way too agitated to care. Not that he usually did.

“Hey,” Angela reached out to him and pulled him into a light hug. “It’s going to be fine,” she assured him.

Elliot could feel himself relaxing a little bit. This, at least, was familiar. Most of the time he’d shy away from the touch but right now he needed it.

“Shall we?” Angela asked after a moment. Elliot nodded and the two set off. Since Angela knew Elliot she also knew how to handle him in situation like this: she’d talk to distract him but didn’t actually include him in the conversation. This time, she complained about a co-worker who had been making her run late to the meeting this morning.

Elliot let the noise wash over him and tried to focus on her voice. Like always it was a perfect distraction from his surroundings. While he was busy listening to Angela, he could ignore other people’s presence, their chatter and, most importantly, their stares. Angela’s presence made it possible for Elliot to pretend that he wasn’t suffering from crippling social anxiety. Even if it was just for a moment, it was incredibly liberating. 

For the countless time today Elliot zoned out. Or at least he tried to. He caught himself thinking about Tyrell Wellick again but every time that happened thankfully he was quick enough to shake off these thoughts.

Elliot didn’t remember much about the lunch. He couldn’t even recall sitting down or what he ordered. 

Zoning out was one of his specialties. It’s what made him survive growing up in an abusive household, being bullied and beaten at school and, ultimately, getting over his last relationship and getting sober.

It was almost like a different part of him took over and gave him the chance to get lost in his own thoughts while his body still functioned. 

...

 

-

 

“What the fuck, Elliot?!”

Elliot blinked. He was sitting at the kitchen table of Darlene’s flat, his sister staring at him with discontent clearly visible in her eyes.

“Un-fucking-believable,” Darlene sighed, shoving a forkful of food in her mouth.

Elliot looked down. He was holding silverware in his hands. They were having leftovers for dinner. He couldn’t even remember getting home, let alone preparing dinner with Darlene. He tentatively lifted his own fork and started eating.

“Don’t tell me you’ve been out of yourself this whole time,” Darlene said, frowning at him. “What the fuck is wrong with you today?”

Elliot paused and frowned, “I...” he started but was cut off by his sister.

“You know what, never mind. You probably don’t want to talk about it anyway.” 

She was right. And Elliot was glad she knew him so well.

They continued to eat in silence for a while. Not long, though, because Darlene couldn’t stand silence.

“You know, I’ve been thinking about the conversation we had the other day.”

Elliot blinked, not sure what Darlene was referring to. 

She huffed, “About you needing to go out more?”

Elliot was still clueless. Darlene rolled her eyes dramatically, “I told you that it’s not good for you to isolate yourself in your room every day and that you should hang out with someone once in a while. What about Leon? You two always seemed to get along.”

“He moved months ago and I haven’t had contact with him in weeks,” Elliot shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Leon had been a welcomed distraction after Shayla’s death but now that he’s trying to get his life back together he didn’t want to dwell on this part of his past. So when Leon told him that he would go away for a while, Elliot didn’t ask for his number. He still had Leon on Skype but he wasn’t sure if Leon even used that account anymore. Not that Elliot had logged in since then.

Darlene sighed, “I’m just saying, sometimes it’s good to hang out with people.”

“I meet Krista once every week,” Elliot said defensively.

“She’s your therapist, Elliot. That’s not the same!” 

Elliot bit his lips, his eyes avoiding Darlene’s. He wasn’t in the mood for an argument. He knew his sister was right to an extent, but he enjoyed his quite evenings for himself after a long day at work. He was also pretty sure that it would be unwise to interrupt his daily routine this soon. He had only moved in with Darlene... what, two months ago? Elliot wasn’t sure if he was ready to meet new people yet, although he occasionally caught himself wishing to get along with others more easily.

“I have lunch with Angela a few times every week,” Elliot replied.

At that, Darlene smiled, “At least she hasn’t given up on you yet.” 

Her tone made it obvious she meant no harm with her wording. Elliot nodded in agreement.

Being done with his meal and having nothing more to talk about, Elliot stood up, brought his plate to the kitchen sink and headed to the bathroom. He had finally decided to shave his undercut tonight. He always did it himself and if he didn’t do it soon, his hair would turn into a complete mess. 

Darlene stopped him in the hallway. 

“I have to confess something,” she said, suddenly looking sheepish.

Elliot frowned at her, “What?”

“Only if you promise that you won’t get angry.”

“Tell me what you are talking about, Darlene,” Elliot said firmly.

“Fine!” she exclaimed. “Angela and I may have gotten a little drunk the last time we hung out and.. shit, Elliot, you left your phone on the coffee table and..”

“What did you do?” Elliot interrupted her and towered over his sister.

“Look, we both agreed that it would be good for you to meet new people and one of Angela’s friends had talked about this new dating app and we kinda .. signed you up for it,” near the end Darlene’s voice had turned into a whisper.

“You did what?!” By now Elliot had cornered her against a wall.

Darlene’s expression suddenly turned to anger and she pushed Elliot away from her.

“Stop that, you’re freaking me out! It’s not that big of a deal, okay? The whole account is completely anonymous, there’s literally nothing on it that could tell anyone that it’s you. We used a throw away mail account, a VPN and your bio only says that you’re a nerd. Not a very unique description, huh? Hell, I’d be surprised if anyone messaged you. Even your profile pic is bland, it’s the logo of dad’s old store which, in case you don’t remember, is a stupid robot.” 

“So there is a connection to me!”

Darlene threw her arms in the air and huffed, “Like anyone would ever get that! It’s been years since the store shut down and it’s not like it ever was a big hit that anyone would remember.”

“I do.”

“Really, Elliot, that’s your argument?” Darlene rolled her eyes. “You have your phone back, right? You can delete the account any time.”

Elliot crossed his arms, the nails of his fingers pressing hard into his skin. He gave Darlene a dirty look, “Don’t ever take my phone again.”

“Yeah, I got that,” Darlene was still mad. “Jesus.”

Without saying another word, Elliot turned around and furiously stormed into the bathroom. 

“Look, why don’t you just try it, what do you gotta lose?” Darlene yelled after him.

Elliot slammed the door shut behind him louder than intended. He leaned against the door frame and closed his eyes. He took a few deep breaths in order to calm himself down. Elliot pulled his phone out of his pocket and threw it on the rack hanging beneath the bathroom mirror. He looked at it suspiciously. What were Darlene and Angela thinking?

With a sigh Elliot took off his shirt and pulled out his shaver from a nearby shelf. He leaned over the sink to make sure the excessive hair wouldn’t be falling all over the bathroom floor. For the most part he didn’t need a mirror since he could feel along his hair line with his fingers. The buzzing of the shaver was soothing and soon Elliot had forgotten the argument. 

For the sides, however, Elliot preferred to see himself in the mirror. He straightened his back and his gaze fell back on his phone - the display had flashed up. Intrigued, Elliot put down the shaver and grabbed his phone. His lock screen informed him about a notification from a particular dating app.

Elliot hesitated, his thumb hovering over the display to unlock his phone. Involuntarily, his curiosity was kindled. An annoyed huff left his mouth when he realized what he was doing. Elliot tucked the device away in his pockets and forced himself to think about anything else while he finished cutting his hair. He cleaned up after himself and went into his room.

_“What do you gotta lose?”_

Instead of doing the usual (which was working on his computer) Elliot threw himself on his bed. Darlene’s words kept spinning around his head. Which was why Elliot ultimately pulled out his phone again. At first, he did a security check. The cursed app wanted access to his camera and his contacts. Elliot deactivated the ladder even though his phone was already set up so that apps never gained access. One could never be careful enough though. He didn’t care about the camera because tape was covering both of the lenses. Elliot then opened the app.

The loading screen was very flashy and showed preview pictures of potential dating options. Another huff left Elliot’s mouth. As if these pictures were realistic in any way. Whatever. The first thing he did was check out his own profile. Darlene wasn’t lying - his profile was very anonymous.

_Mr. Robot. Male. Just a computer nerd._

No further information, not even a gender preference, not that Elliot had one.

Elliot browsed the app a little but it didn’t take him long to get bored. People loved to exaggerate and it wasn’t an exception on this platform. Not to mention the amount of gay people he came across who stated in their profiles: “no Fats, no Femmes, no Asians” which was not just extremely biased and shallow, it was downright racist.

So after a few dull minutes, all that was left for Elliot was to check out the message he had received earlier. He didn’t want to admit it to himself but he was quite intrigued. He was wondering who in the world would contact such an impersonal profile given all the other options. It was probably a troll. That was very likely, considering that the person who sent the message had a similar bland profile. 

The profile picture showed a masculine chest downwards which was not telling at all. The description was a little more revealing (higher up in a tech company, looking for casual flings, prefers men but is open to all gender identities) and Elliot found a photo gallery. The pictures never showed enough of the face to give away anything, yet Elliot spotted enough similarities to know that, on the pictures at least, it was always the same person showing off their body in various snapshots. Very suggestive snapshots but in the end all Elliot found out that this was a white cis man who was well-toned and seemed rather attractive. The butt alone invited to a lot of distracting thoughts.. Elliot bit his lip and opened the message.

**To: Mr. Robot**  


> **(07:23)** Bonsoir!

...  


What the fuck?! This was the second time someone greeted him like this today. Elliot eyed the message suspiciously. What even were the chances? But then again.. what did he have to lose, right? Deciding quickly, Elliot started typing.

**To: RedWheelBarrow**  


> **(09:43)** sorry don’t speak french

Surprisingly, he didn’t have to wait long for an answer. Almost immediately the “is writing” notification started to pop up next to the user name RedWheelBarrow.

**To: Mr. Robot**  


> **(09:43)** No problem, English is just fine!

**To: RedWheelBarrow**  


> **(09:46)** why did you message me?

**To Mr. Robot  
**

> **(9:46)** Well, isn’t that the purpose of this app?

**To: RedWheelBarrow**  


> **(09:50)** sure but there’s a bunch of people who seem way more approachable  
>  **(09:50)** my profile tells you nothing man  
>  **(09:50)** i could be anyone

**To: Mr. Robot**  


> **(09:50)** Let’s just say that you intrigued me exactly for that reason.  
>  **(09:51)** Or to find out if you’re a troll that I should report.  
>  **(09:51)** People can get nasty here, too many homophobes and transphobes are joining.  
>  **(09:51)** But since you’re answering me decently so far I don’t see a reason to do any of that.

**To: RedWheelBarrow**  


> **(09:52)** wow thx  
>  **(09:52)** how generous  
>  **(09:53)** it’s not like you have the most revealing profile yourself

**To: Mr. Robot**  


> **(09:53)** 😏  
>  **(09:54)** Did you take a look at my pictures yet? 😘

**To: RedWheelBarrow**  


> **(09:54)** THEY ARE HARD TO MISS  
>  **(09:54)** upps  
>  **(09:54)** sorry @ caps

**To: Mr. Robot**  


> **(09:55)** haha.  
>  **(09:55)** Did you like what you saw?

For a second there, Elliot had to put down his phone and take a break. He stared at his ceiling with big grey eyes. He was so confused. What was he doing? Some weird person on the internet was trying to flirt with him?? The pictures were hot, no question. But Elliot still had doubts if the person on the pictures even matched the anonymous messenger. Elliot rolled on his side and read over their text exchange. He didn’t have to wait long to get a new notification.

**To: Mr. Robot**  


> **(09:58)** I shall take your silence as a Yes.

**To: RedWheelBarrow**  


> **(09:59)** who even writes like that

**To: Mr. Robot**  


> **(10:00)** What, with proper vocabulary, grammar and punctuation? Apparently, it’s not you.  
>  **(10:01)** But it’s not your fault, you probably went to public school anyway.

**To: RedWheelBarrow**  


> **(10:01)** wow rude  
>  **(10:01)** says the one who talked about decency  
>  **(10:01)** where is *your* decency now? or your politeness?  
>  **(10:02)** whatever  
>  **(10:02)** are these pictures even real?

**To: Mr. Robot**  


> **(10:02)** Of course.

**To: RedWheelBarrow  
**

> **(10:02)** i mean  
>  **(10:02)** is this really you?

**To: Mr. Robot  
**

> **(10:02)** Yes.

**To: RedWheelBarrow  
**

> **(10:03)** like i would believe you

**To: Mr. Robot  
**

> **(10:03)** There’s an easy way for you to verify if what I’m telling you is the truth. 😏

**To: RedWheelBarrow  
**

> **(10:04)** you wish

**To: Mr. Robot  
**

> **(10:05)** So what’s up with the whole anonymous get up? Did you really expect anyone to contact you in earnest?

**To: RedWheelBarrow  
**

> **(10:06)** i mean  
>  **(10:06)** you did

**To: Mr. Robot  
**

****

> **(10:07)** True  
>  **(10:07)** But like I said I truly expected you to be a troll or bot.

**To: RedWheelBarrow  
**

> **(10:08)** my sister created this account  
>  **(10:08)** she stole my phone  
>  **(10:08)** at least she knew better than to use a real picture of me

**To: Mr. Robot  
**

> **(10:09)** Aww, so you’re shy?

**To: RedWheelBarrow  
**

> **(10:10)** private  
>  **(10:11)** tbh idek why i didn’t delete this s**t right away  
>  **(10:11)** really  
>  **(10:11)** you can’t even swear on here?

**To: Mr. Robot  
**

> **(10:12)** Well, you can’t do it now.

**To: RedWheelBarrow  
**

> **(10:12)** what swear?

**To: Mr. Robot  
**

> **(10:13)** No, silly. Deleting the app.

**To: RedWheelBarrow  
**

> **(10:12)** why

**To: Mr. Robot  
**

> **(10:13)** Why, because of me, of course!

**To: RedWheelBarrow  
**

> **(10:14)** dude  
>  **(10:14)** what do you want

**To: Mr. Robot  
**

> **(10:15)** To get to know you.  
>  **(10:15)** Your sister signed you up for a reason, right?  
>  **(10:15)** I’m assuming to get laid.

Elliot blushed. This straightforwardness was something else. Not that Mr. RedWheelBarrow was wrong...

**To: Mr. Robot  
**

> **(10:20)** Once again, I’m taking your silence as a Yes.  
>  **(10:22)** And look, what a coincidence, I’m also on this platform to get laid!

**To: RedWheelBarrow  
**

> **(10:22)** dude  
>  **(10:22)** how desperate are you

**To: Mr. Robot  
**

> **(10:23)** Ouch, that hurt.

**To: RedWheelBarrow  
**

> **(10:25)** whatever  
>  **(10:25)** i don’t do casual hook ups

**To: Mr. Robot  
**

> **(10:25)** Never?

**To: RedWheelBarrow  
**

> **(10:26)** i didn’t say that  
>  **(10:26)** but not right now

**To: Mr. Robot  
**

> **(10:27)** So.. you require a date first? That can be arranged.

**To: RedWheelBarrow  
**

> **(10:27)** dude. chill  
>  **(10:27)** how about we talk more before we do anything??

**To: Mr. Robot  
**

> **(10:29)** How will I know that you won’t delete this app and we’ll never get the chance to go out and potentially have mind blowing sex?

**To: RedWheelBarrow  
**

> **(10:30)** man you really sound desperate  
>  **(10:30)** and dramatic

**To: Mr. Robot  
**

> **(10:30)** 😢

**To: RedWheelBarrow  
**

> **(10:32)** idk.. i can promise?  
>  **(10:33)** if you give me a reason

**To: Mr. Robot  
**

> **(10:34)** Oh.  
>  **(10:34)** I have an idea!  
>  **(10:35)** Please be so kind to wait a few seconds.  
>  **(10:37)** Or well.. a few minutes.

**To: RedWheelBarrow  
**

> **(10:38)** sure...

Elliot closed his eyes. What was he getting himself into? That was such a bad idea and could go wrong in so many ways. Elliot sighed. He was greeted with yet another message as soon as he opened his eyes. The blush on his cheeks deepened.

**To: Mr. Robot  
**

> **(10:40)** That reason enough?

_That_ being a picture of a man who was posing very seductively in front of a mirror, showing off his body in a very alluring way. He was basically nacked except for a pair of tight briefs and a blue tie hanging loose around his neck. The pictured ended just above the tip of his nose. Between his lips stuck a note and as he zoomed in on the picture, Elliot was able to read a scribbled “Waiting for you, Mr. Robot” and a winking face emoji. 

**To: RedWheelBarrow  
**

> **(10:43)** ...  
>  **(10:43)** okay fine

**To: Mr. Robot  
**

> **(10:43)** ❤️  
>  **(10:44)** I gotta sleep now. Read you tomorrow, Mr. Robot. 😘

**To: RedWheelBarrow  
**

> **(10:48)** good night

After hitting send on his last text, Elliot jumped up and basically ran to his computer. He immediately started hacking the site of the dating app. This way it was quite easy for him to get his hands on some very private information. Not that he cared about any of that. It was only one person he was interested in. The one that went by the nick name RedWheelBarrow. The information spilling out in front of him left Elliot speechless. It couldn’t be! 

With shaking fingers Elliot entered the code that would give him access to the user’s camera. On one side of his main screen the feed of the back camera showed him the naked legs of the phone’s owner. On the other side the feed of the front camera appeared, showing him the face of a beautiful man with icy blue eyes, a sharp jaw line, lush red lips and soft brown hair. The sight shook Elliot to his core.

It really was Tyrell Wellick!

Elliot stumbled back, trying to sit down but missing his chair. With a loud thud Elliot crashed on the floor of his room, not even a little bit distracted by that. His eyes stayed glued to his screen and the face of Tyrell Wellick looking down at him. Looking down at his phone screen. Whatever. That didn’t matter. What mattered was the fact that Elliot had just flirted with his very attractive boss. His very attractive boss who had just sent him a hot picture posing for Elliot. What were the chances that Tyrell knew who he was talking to? Very unlikely, right? Not that it made a huge difference to Elliot. _He_ knew! And not only did he agree to stay in contact with Tyrell, but he was also supposed to be working on a project together with him.

Well.

Fuck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [RuPaul's "The Beginning“ starts playing]
> 
> THIS WAS A FIGHT LET ME TELL YOU
> 
> I had the idea for this fic about 1 1/2 years ago but there were so many obstacles in the way to get to this point. My fear of writing a multi chaptered fic, figuring out the formatting, not knowing in which direction I want this to go, wrestling down the perfectionist within me so that I won't be spending weeks editing one chapter and accepting that it's fine if this is just a silly thing I can have fun with. This won't be a dark series, you can watch Mr. Robot for that haha. 
> 
> So. Here we are. Please let me know about any mistakes you spot, English is not my first language and it's my first time using the past tense (I struggled a lot, why did I do this to myself lol). I will be checking back quite frequently because I'm sure there are a bunch of little mistakes that I've overlooked. It always happens.
> 
> Also, in case you're worried: soon they will be busy with other stuff and won't be texting as much (although it will always be an element in this fic) so you don't have to deal with this specific "chat formatting". I can imagine that it can get exhausting after some time. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed reading the first chapter and will be back for future updates!
> 
> I've already started working on the draft for the second chapter but please bear with me - I'm a slow writer mostly because of my anxiety (I kid you not, the first draft for the first chapter was done almost a year ago) and I'm also working on a lil' RK1K (Detroit: Become Human) Oneshot that I really want to finish. 
> 
> Just know, that this project is very dear to me and even though updates might take a while, they will come!
> 
> See you next time!
> 
>  
> 
> **Random fact about the writer:** I'm a trans boy and I've recently started with HRT and I just wanted to share that with you all because I'm so happy, ahhh!!


	2. One Life Crumbled By Chaos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic now has chapter titles and emojis, hell yeah! ✌️

Tyrell Wellick loathed chaos. 

He firmly believed that it never let to good things. He had witnessed how chaos alone could ruin even the most successful people. He made sure to stay far away from any form of trouble that had the potential to mess with his career. 

Tyrell’s life used to be well structured and meticulously planned out, and for a while he had felt invincible. Everything went just the way he wanted to. He knew what he wanted out of life and achieving even his most difficult goals seemed within reach. Then Scott Knowles got the job as Chief Technology Officer. Soon after, his once perfect life fell apart. 

Work turned into a living hell and Tyrell often found himself questioning why he even bothered to stay. E-Corp obviously didn’t appreciate all the countless hours he had put into this job or the sacrifices he’s had to make. 

Unfortunately, his bad luck didn’t stop there. First, his wife Joanna filed for divorce and won the custody battle over their newborn son. Shortly after, both of them were murdered by an ex lover of hers. 

From that moment on, Tyrell’s world turned into a blurry mess of violent outbursts, drug escapades in various night clubs and countless hook ups. They meant nothing to him and didn’t leave him the least bit satisfied.

Tyrell Wellick loathed chaos, yet that’s exactly what his life had turned into. However, he’d soon meet a person who proofed him wrong and made him realize that chaos could actually lead to good things.

And it was all thanks to his own perseverance.

 

-

 

The first time Tyrell heard the news about Mr. Price hiring someone because of a recommendation from his charity case Angela Moss, Tyrell was ... confused, to say the least. A little put off, maybe. He knew how many background checks were performed, let alone the presumptuous number of times E Corp called you to come back for an interview. He knew because he had to go through all the hoops and still didn’t get the position he actually wanted. Never mind that he had transferred from a prestigious company in Sweden where he was leaving behind not only a higher position but a job that he actually enjoyed. 

Okay... maybe he was more than just a little put off. (If you asked his assistant, they’d tell you Tyrell had entered an erratic emotional turmoil ever since the day that new guy Alder-something had been hired.)

At first, Tyrell was mad. Not at the new employee but at Mr. Price. Tyrell hated the favorable behavior Mr. Price treated Angela Moss without seemingly any reason while Tyrell had continued to work his ass off. And what did he get out of it? Nothing. He felt more and more resentment each passing day. It was infuriating! So infuriating, in fact, that a few objects in his office had fallen victim to his rampage (mostly vases and framed pictures but on occasion a monitor had to be replaced as well). He had come to his senses more than once with a nastily worded resignation in hand. He never gave in the urge to do it because what was the point? This job was the only stable thing left in his life. If he lost it, he had nothing. 

After the initial rage faded, he got curious. Whoever managed to impress Mr. Price had to be incredibly good at what they were doing. So instead of spending his time in sleazy clubs, Tyrell started to use his evenings to browse through E Corp’s system in order to learn as much about Mr. Alderson as possible. Which wasn’t much. Tyrell got his full name (Elliot Alderson), age and birthday (28, September 17, 1986) and an address. That’s it. Tyrell couldn’t even find records about previous occupations or Elliot Alderson’s academical training. 

Tyrell also paid more attention to Elliot at work. He didn’t know what to expect but he was instantly entranced the first time he saw him. At first glance, Elliot seemed quite inconspicuous but Tyrell immediately noticed his gorgeous eyes, his strong jaw line and sharp nose. 

It was quite obvious that Elliot consciously avoided any contact to his co workers. With the exception, of course, of Mr. Price’s favorite employee Angela Moss. That annoyed Tyrell immensely. He couldn’t stand Angela. It wasn’t anything personal but she, just like Scott Knowles, would always be a reminder that others were more successful than him. 

Luckily enough, Tyrell had managed to secretly watch Elliot work a few times. And watching Elliot work was mesmerizing. Even the most difficult tasks were handled by him with an almost playful ease and grace. His code was splendid, clean and always worked flawlessly. 

While coding, Elliot was completely focused and his entire posture changed. He started to exude an astounding amount of confidence which he probably didn’t even realize. His eyes were glued to the screen, his fingers never stopped moving and he’d occasionally chew on his lips, too distracted to even notice. Tyrell couldn’t help himself but to promptly have a crush. The other man was gorgeous to look at.

He once tried to hack Elliot’s work computer but he quickly learned that Elliot was not only extremely cautious, he was also very thorough in protecting his privacy. Tyrell was glad he managed to make it out without setting off any alarms and hoped his attempt at hacking stayed unnoticed.

This unexpected challenge lit a fire inside Tyrell. He wanted now more than ever to find out more about this fascinating man. He was impressed and _very intrigued_. Not only did it seem like he had found a person who was as interested in coding as Tyrell, but someone who actually matched his skills. Who was superior even. There really was no hope left for Tyrell not to fall in love with Elliot. 

So instead of letting it go, Tyrell’s entire attention shifted to this challenge. He was used to getting what he wanted, despite his recent failure of losing to Scott Knowles. Surprisingly that didn’t even bother him much anymore. Right now his entire focus was on Elliot. 

He started by checking out the address and was bewildered to find out that the neighborhood was particularly shabby. Tyrell was surprised because the average E Corp employee lived in other parts of the city and could afford something much better, even prior to working at the conglomerate. 

His next move was hacking both, the city and the landlord of the place. That’s when Tyrell first read about Elliot’s sister, Darlene Alderson. Elliot had started living with her a few weeks ago. Once again, Tyrell was unable to find out anything about past places Elliot had lived before that.

That’s how he ended up approaching it from a different angle - the sister.

Getting to her was a little tricky but that didn’t stop him. One night, he drove over to the place and caught Darlene leaving. Tyrell quickly came up with a plan. After hastily parking his car, Tyrell got out and started following her to a bar near by. He was convinced that she didn’t notice him, she had spent the entire way looking down at her phone. It seemed like the way was familiar to her. Entering the bar didn’t raise any suspicions either. It’s not like anyone he knew would be hanging out at a place like this. Even if, they probably wouldn’t notice him anyway. Tyrell was dressed in casual clothes, sporting a cap and his hair was falling in front of his eyes. He blended in perfectly. His goal was to steal Darlene’s phone, secretly install his software to gain access to her cloud and return the phone before she even noticed that it was missing. Tyrell had to act quick but he managed to succeed. Sometimes, he worked best under pressure. It helped that Darlene was seemingly distracted by a redhead. In the end, Tyrell was in and out of the bar within forty minutes. 

Gaining the ability to access her cloud with his own devices was the next step. Darlene Alderson definitely was no amateur and had more security measurements set up than the average person, Tyrell would give her that, but she wasn’t as good as her brother. Tyrell managed to hack her without setting off any alarms and was pleased to find a lot of personal files. This way Tyrell found out about Elliot’s abusive mother, his deceased father, an old electronics store and hints at Elliot’s mental health struggles. 

Tyrell’s next target was Angela Moss. Compared to the Alderson siblings, she was mere child’s play. Especially since her computer at work was connected to all her other devices. By hacking her, Tyrell found out that she was Elliot’s childhood friend which explained the shared lunch breaks. Angela had her own home cloud where she archived most of her private files. Among these Tyrell found pictures of her with Elliot in their teenage years and old diary entries from her youth talking about their friendship. 

Tyrell also wrote his own little program which would inform him about any activity regarding Elliot in both Darlene’s and Angela’s networks. He hoped to gain some knowledge this way. 

In the end, the overall information Tyrell managed to find out wasn’t really that much. But each new clue, no matter how minor it seemed, fueled him on. It didn’t take long, however, for him to get impatient and the wish to get to know Elliot personally grew with every passing day. 

There was just one drawback: they were working on different floors and their work schedule never gave them any reason to work together. It was one thing to occasionally find an excuse to go down to Elliot’s floor so that he could watch him. But there was no reason for Tyrell to approach Elliot and talk to him.

...  
Unless something would cause them to coincidentally end up teamed up together on a project...

Immediately, an idea was taking shape in his head. A man in his position didn’t have any difficulties becoming a project manager with the freedom to choose his own team. No one would assume he had ulterior motives. It was the perfect disguise.

Sheer coincidence offered Tyrell another perfect opportunity just a few days later. His self written software finally paid of; not only did he find out that Darlene managed to steal Elliot’s phone but also that she, together with Angela, signed up Elliot for a silly dating app. This is where Tyrell saw his window of opportunity. 

It wasn’t hard to hack the company behind the app and getting information about newly created accounts was even easier. Tyrell clicked through numerous profiles until he found an odd locking one with a profile picture he immediately recognized: it was the logo Elliot’s father had used for his old store. Even the user’s name matched. 

**Mr. Robot. Just a nerd.**

Tyrell couldn’t stop himself from grinning smugly. Now that was definitely something he could use. 

 

-

 

Tyrell still couldn’t quite believe his luck. Not only did he convince Mr. Price that this new project was necessary but thanks to his persistence the meeting to announce said project was happening sooner than expected. Tyrell was in incredible high spirits.

On the day Elliot and Tyrell officially started working together, Tyrell made sure to get up extra early. He wanted to have enough time to pick out the perfect suit and to style himself. He had to look the best for him. Elliot deserved nothing less. 

Tyrell also knew about Elliot’s preference to be the first one from his department to arrive. He wanted to use this knowledge to his advantage. It was the perfect opportunity to talk to Elliot alone and now he even had a foolproof reason.

The way Tyrell went about his morning almost equaled a ritual. He started things off with his usual work out routine, then took a quick but thorough shower. After drying himself off, he combed and styled his hair. Next followed the most important step: picking an outfit. He was meticulous about every single piece of clothing and even went so far as to pick matching accessory. After a quick breakfast, he brushed his teeth and called his driver to get ready.

Tyrell gave himself one last check in the mirror. He fixed one rebellious strand of hair. There. Perfect. Tyrell smirked confidently at his mirror image. He then turned around and left to be picked up by his driver. 

His usual commute didn’t take longer than fifteen minutes but on this particular day it felt like a lifetime. Tyrell tried to distract himself by replying to some work related mails but quickly got annoyed. By the time they arrived, Tyrell was both, irritated and extremely agitated. He huffed out a breath and tried to relax. Everything in good time.

Even though he told himself that, he couldn’t stop himself from nearly sprinting to the elevators after getting out of his car. Tyrell used the mirror in the elevator to check his appearance. His hand shook a little bit while he adjusted his tie. Tyrell scowled for a second. He was surprised at how nervous he was. It’s been ages since he got so worked up about asking out another person. He took a deep breath and told himself he got this. The elevator arrived and as soon as the doors opened Tyrell’s eyes landed on Elliot who was already at his desk. Tyrell took another deep breath and stepped out. 

Show time.

-

 

Their first encounter couldn’t have gone better! Even hours later Tyrell still gloated because he had made Elliot blush. On multiple occasions. He was immensely pleased with himself.

He drank in every word Elliot said and was very proud of himself for catching Elliot’s tag line. The other one had introduced himself using almost the exact same words on his profile. The tag line was another confirmation that “Mr. Robot” was in fact the user profile created by Darlene and Angela.

The presentation of the project also went very smoothly. To be quite honest, after his latest failure, Tyrell didn’t expect to have _that_ much luck. Not only did he manage to convince Mr. Price of his idea but Elliot and him would really be working together. All things considered, Tyrell was feeling quite optimistic. 

It was evening now and Tyrell was at home, leisurely lying on his couch. He had gotten rid of his pants quite a while ago, only wearing an undershirt. He was scrolling through the app, an arrogant smile on his lips as his eyes scanned over various profiles. They were all so superficial, trying their best to convince someone they were the real deal. But they didn’t trick Tyrell, he’s had his fair share of experience with dating apps. With any luck, he wouldn’t have to participate in this silly act any longer. He knew he had found his match with Elliot. And given the other one’s reaction to his advances, Tyrell was convinced that he had a chance. He’d stop immediately if Elliot gave indication that Tyrell was going too far but until now Elliot had been positively responsive. 

Filled with determination, Tyrell went on Mr. Robot’s profile and opened the chat option. He had planned this for days so he knew exactly what words he wanted to use. 

**To: Mr. Robot**  


> **(07:23)** Bonsoir!

It was the exact phrase Tyrell had used to say good bye to Elliot. He wanted the other one to become suspicious and to find out who’s the one behind the account RedWheelBarrow. He saw no point in hiding his real identity for long. 

Maybe it all seemed like he was acting too fast. This was, after all, the first day the two of them had officially met. But Tyrell felt very secure about his decision. He was convinced that Elliot and him were destined to be together. Elliot was like a treasure, something pure Tyrell had found in this cold heartless world.

The vibrating of his phone jolted Tyrell out of his thoughts. His heart started beating rapidly while he unlocked the phone. Excitement rushed through him as he saw that not only was it a notification from the dating app but an actual answer from Elliot. Tyrell cursed himself for getting so worked up, he felt like a teenager instead of a grown up man. 

**To: RedWheelBarrow**  


> **(09:43)** sorry don’t speak french

Tyrell let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding and he immediately started texting back. This was really happening! His lips turned up into a gleeful smile and he almost let out an undignified sound. But how was he supposed to stay calm, considering that he was finally in direct contact with the man of his dreams? Not only that, but starting the following week, they’d see each other every other day at work. Tyrell had high hopes that everything would work out in his favor. Because how could Elliot resist him, really, right?

They ended up texting for quite some time. Regretfully, Tyrell had to end it sooner than he wanted to because he had to get up early the next day. That didn’t dampen his mood, though. Elliot had replied to him consistently and considering his usual anti-social self he had actually seemed interested in their conversation. His reaction to the picture Tyrell had sent him had also been very telling.

Elliot’s hack just mere minutes after they stopped texting didn’t go by unnoticed. However, Tyrell didn’t intervene. It was part of his plan, Elliot was supposed to find out who he truly was, after all. He was almost certain that this wasn’t even Elliot’s first time hacking him. Considering everything he had learned about the other man so far that was more than likely. 

Tyrell had prepared everything right down to the way he was presenting himself. Once he saw the alert on his phone, he really had to hold himself back from grinning triumphantly in case Elliot hacked the front camera on his phone. Tyrell hoped he hadn’t screwed up something in his preparations and didn’t give away anything. He’s completely focused on his task to make it seem like he got ready for bed. He purposefully placed his phone in an angle so that Elliot could watch him if he wanted to. 

After he brushed his teeth and undressed completely, he lay down in bed and powered off his phone. Plenty of people did that, right? It shouldn’t be unusual to turn off your phone at night, he could simply be one of these paranoid people afraid of radiation exposure. Tyrell believed in destiny so if he should find his end because of radiation, that’s simply what’s supposed to happen in his eyes. Never mind the fact that a man in his position had to be available at all times. So usually he left his phone on. This time, however, he wanted to deny a certain person more insight. 

As soon as he’s made sure his phone was switched off and lying face down on his night stand, Tyrell got up and went to his computer. He instantly checked who had tried to hack him. The IP address was anonymous but Tyrell was pretty certain he knew who it belonged to. He could see what the hacker had accessed and it was all pretty telling.

All the excitement and built up energy caused Tyrell to hit his desk with his fist, causing multiple items to fall down. Tyrell didn’t care. His plan was set in motion and so far, everything went right the way he wanted to! Satisfied, Tyrell shut down his computer and went to bed. For real this time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

His good mood was still present in the morning. After waking up, Tyrell immediately grabbed his phone and texted Elliot. He was feeling a little daring so he decided to text in his native language, Swedish. He was just hoping that Elliot didn’t get the impression that Tyrell was trying to mock him. 

**To: Mr. Robot**  


> **(04:23)** God morgon!

Since it’s very early in the morning, Tyrell had to wait for an answer. To distract himself, Tyrell tried his best to follow his usual morning routine. He’d never admit how often he caught himself glancing at his phone until, finally, he could feel his phone vibrating in his pockets. It took him mere seconds to pull it out and open a certain app.

 **To: RedWheelBarrow**  


> **(5:25)** dude  
>  **(5:25)** i also don’t speak whatever the fuck language that was  
>  **(5:25)** and  
>  **(5:26)** at what ungodly hour do you have to get up  
>  **(5:26)** i thought my life was cruel

**To: Mr. Robot**  


> **(5:26)** It’s not so different to “good morning” now, is it?

**To: RedWheelBarrow**  


> **(5:27)** whatever man

**To: Mr. Robot**  


> **(5:27)** Getting up this early definitely is a downside of being a higher up in a big company.  
>  **(5:27)** But you get used to it.  
>  **(5:28)** It’s Swedish, btw.

Almost immediately after he hit send, he got the notification that Mr. Robot was typing. Tyrell couldn’t quite believe his luck: it was the next morning and they were still texting each other. More so, Elliot seemed eager to stay in contact with him. And he knew who RedWheelBarrow was. Tyrell almost let out a rather embarrassing sound. 

**To: RedWheelBarrow**  


> **(5:28)** so you’re a big shot huh

**To: Mr. Robot **  
****

********

> **(5:29)** Well, let’s just say I could provide for you perfectly. 😏

**To: RedWheelBarrow**  


> **(5:29)** dude  
>  **(5:29)** i don’t need a sugar daddy 

**To: Mr. Robot**  


> **(5:30)** Not what I meant.

**To: RedWheelBarrow**  


> **(5:30)** what did you mean

**To: Mr. Robot**  


> **(5:31)** Only that I could treat you the way you deserve it.

Tyrell bit his lip, contemplating his words. Was it too much? Elliot’s next message, however, proved to him that he shouldn’t hold back. Elliot had to realize how unique and special he was and Tyrell couldn’t wait to show him. 

**To: RedWheelBarrow**  


> **(5:32)** what makes you think i deserve anything

**To: Mr. Robot**  


> **(5:33)** I don’t know.  
>  **(5:33)** It’s just a feeling.

**To: RedWheelBarrow**  


> **(5:34)** feelings are not very reliable.

**To: Mr. Robot**  


> **(5:34)** Maybe.  
>  **(5:34)** But I’m willing to give it a shot. 😄

Since Elliot didn’t answer right away, Tyrell got ready for work. If he felt like the way to the office took long the day before, it was nothing compared to today. Every time his phone chirped in his pocket, Tyrell startled and he briefly got excited, but every time it was just another irrelevant person. Tyrell’s impatience only grew with every message he received that wasn’t from Elliot. As did his anxiety. Had he gone too far? He started to worry. Tyrell was very well aware that he could be intense and he didn’t want to scare Elliot away. This was to important to him. _He_ was too important to him, he couldn’t fuck it all up so soon. Tyrell entered the company very apprehensively. 

What should he do? 

Five hours later Tyrell had come to a decision. Elliot still hasn’t replied and Tyrell hated feeling this insecure. He would approach the problem head on. He made sure to get to Elliot early enough so that the other had plenty of time to call off Angela if needed. 

Entering Elliot’s department, Tyrell wasn’t surprised that his appearance only went by unnoticed by his object of desire; Elliot was deeply engrossed in his work. His colleagues seemed to be a little taken aback by Tyrell’s presence but they quickly went back to their own work.

Tyrell went over to Elliot’s desk and cleared his throat. That startled Elliot out of his trance-like state. He looked at Tyrell with huge eyes. He resembled a deer caught in head lights. Tyrell chuckled, clearly amused, “Excuse me, I didn’t mean to startle you. I was just about to head out and was wondering if you wanted to join me for an early lunch?”

Elliot blinked, chewing on his lower lip, “Why would you want that?”

“Well, for starters, I could tell you more about our upcoming project. The sooner we can start on this the better. But that’s not all. I think this is a nice chance for us to get to know each other better.”

Elliot was visibly taken aback by Tyrell’s words and it took him a few seconds to process them. Meanwhile, Tyrell watched Elliot closely. The other hacker continued chewing on his lips, his eyes flashing back and forth between Tyrell and his screen. 

After what felt like a lifetime of waiting, Elliot seemed to have come to a decision. He nodded and mumbled, “Sure... Sure. I eat lunch.”

“So you are like the rest of us.” Tyrell laughed.

“I just have to let someone know.”

Angela, for sure. Tyrell felt a certain amount of pride and validation that Elliot chose to spend lunch with him. Even if it was technically a little early for that. 

The other one quickly sent out a text before grabbing his hoodie and getting up. He was visibly tense. Tyrell on the other hand felt incredible and he wanted Elliot to feel the same, to be comfortable around him. 

“There’s a restaurant nearby with very good reviews. The food’s supposed to be absurdly delicious,” Tyrell suggested. He knew Elliot would be overwhelmed if Tyrell let him choose a place to eat. But he didn’t want to give off the impression of overlooking Elliot. “Or do you have something else in mind?”

Elliot shook his head. “’s fine by me,” he mumbled while hiding his face deeper in the hood of his shirt.

Tyrell gave a curt nod and directed the two towards the elevators. He was aware that Elliot would most likely say yes to anything but that didn’t mean Tyrell would drag him to just any place. He had put a lot of time and research into finding the perfect restaurant for Elliot. _Not so busy_ and _secluded spaces_ were the keywords in his research. Tyrell knew that Elliot despised being in the center of attention but still enjoyed being part of something. Smaller crowds of people were perfectly fine on good days, especially if he was able to watch and observe without being seen himself. 

That’s why Tyrell chose the restaurant very carefully. He had managed to reserve a table in a secluded area were they’d be hidden from view but still be able to see everything themselves. 

It was a busy place during lunch time but before noon only a couple of people ate there. Hence, the unusual time. To be fair, Tyrell typically had lunch at ten. Since he had to get up at such an early time, his life didn’t really have much in common with any regular schedules.

“I’ll give my driver a call, just a second,” Tyrell announced in the silence of the elevator.

Elliot seemed taken aback at the aspect of being driven around but didn’t protest. Tyrell gave his driver a brief call before devoting his attention back to Elliot. He was quite pleased to notice that Elliot was still looking at him.

“Shall we?”

Elliot visibly flinched. Apparently, he hadn’t noticed the elevator arriving on the ground floor or the doors opening. “S-Sure,” he stuttered and fell back into an awkward silence.

As the two left the building, Tyrell’s driver was already waiting for them outside. Wanting to treat him with the proper etiquette, Tyrell opened the car door for Elliot and let him enter first. And if he used this moment to admire Elliot’s butt, no one had to know, right? 

Tyrell frowned as he got inside himself. Elliot was sitting uncomfortably at the far edge of his seat, pressed against the car door. His hands were clenched in his lap and his gaze was fixed on something outside. His lips were moving silently. It seemed as if he was lost in an inner conflict. 

Now that was a rather unpleasant sight. Tyrell impatiently clicked his tongue. That gave him Elliot’s attention. He was looking at him with his big eyes again. Instantly any impatience Tyrell had previously felt vanished and his frown gave way to a soft smile, “I’m sure you’re gonna like the place.”

Elliot shrugged, “I don’t expect much. Food is food.”

“That may be but I still wanted to find something that you like.”

“Why?” Elliot frowned. 

It’s Tyrell’s time to shrug, “I want to kick things off with you on the right foot. It’s unclear yet how much  
work this project demands and how long we’re going to work together. I think it’s for our mutual benefit if we get along,” at that, Tyrell smiled again at Elliot. “Lunch seemed like a good opportunity to get to know each other better.”

Elliot seemed satisfied with his answer. They spent the rest of the drive in silence. Tyrell didn’t have anything more to say and Elliot looked as if he preferred silence anyway. This time it didn’t feel nearly as uncomfortable as before.

At the restaurant they were immediately guided to their seats. Tyrell swore he saw Elliot smile a little when he noticed their private booth. Tyrell congratulated himself mentally before remembering his good manners to help Elliot in his seat. The other one seemed flustered but didn’t dismiss Tyrell’s advances.

It didn’t take them long to look through their menus and to order their food. After doing so and getting their drinks, it’s actually Elliot who broke the silence. “So.. about that project,” he started softly, playing with his glass, “why me?”

Tyrell took a sip of water and looked at Elliot over the edge of his glass. “Why shouldn’t it be you?”

“I mean.. you don’t know anything about me, how do you even know I’m qualified?”

“I know enough and I’m impressed. I know we’re both perfectionists. We’re the same.”

Elliot frowned, “What do you mea-”

Tyrell cut him off with a sharp nod of his head, “That’s not relevant right now. What matters is that I know you are more than qualified. You're the first person in the history of the entire company to get a job after one interview. That alone is proof enough that you are more than capable. There’s something extremely special about you.”

Elliot blushed. “I’m not that special,” he mumbled. 

Oh, but he was! Tyrell really had to fight the urge to reach across the table and grab Elliot’s hand which clutched his glass. Luckily for him, their food arrived in that moment. 

“Well.. Smaklig måltid. That’s how we say “enjoy your meal” in Swedish,” Tyrell said after the waiter was gone and winked at Elliot. He picked up the silver ware and started eating. 

“Uh, thanks,” Elliot replied, a little unsure. If he made the connection to Tyrell’s Swedish message this morning, he didn’t let it show. He timidly poked his food and slowly started eating as well.

After a moment of silence, Elliot surprised Tyrell once more by raising his voice again, “So what’s this project about?”

Tyrell smiled at him between two bites and swallowed, “I’m glad you ask. The project itself is actually quite interesting but unfortunately for us the client has been a complete pain in the ass.”

His choice of words made Elliot snort. Tyrell managed to hide a satisfied grin by stuffing more food in his mouth. It’s going so well, he was close to being ecstatic! They actually spent the majority of the meal talking. Elliot was curious about the project and Tyrell was more than happy to answer his questions.

Occasionally, Elliot would get flustered and reserved but he was still engaged in the conversation. He even admitted that he was actually really looking forward to the change because his current work wasn’t very challenging for him.

They even continued talking after they were done eating. Once they lapsed into silence, however, Elliot started to get restless and he soon returned to be his usual insecure self. After a few minutes of suppressed fidgeting, he stood up and hastily excused himself to the restroom. 

Tyrell watched Elliot leave with a raised brow. Huh. What was that all about? It had been going so well before that, why was Elliot so withdrawn again? Tyrell thought about their lunch break so far and couldn’t come up with a reason for Elliot’s behavior. He started to get intrigued, yet also a little worried. Maybe the other one was getting sick. 

Having decided quickly, Tyrell put down enough bills on the table to not only cover their meals but make for a generous tip. He headed to the restroom and was greeted with the sound of retching as he stood in the door way. Elliot was leaning over one of the sinks, spitting out stomach acid. It didn’t seem like he noticed Tyrell’s arrival. He proceeded to clean his mouth. After he was done, Elliot pulled out a little bag filled with pills out of his hoodie. With shaking fingers, he squeezed the pills into the palm of his hand and made a move to swallow them.

Tyrell chose this moment to reveal his presence, “Is that really necessary?”

The sound of his voice was enough to make Elliot shoot up straight, dropping the pills in the process.

“Shit!” he exclaimed breathlessly, His eyes locked with Tyrell’s through a mirror. Elliot froze in motion, quickly averting his gaze, “... shit.” 

Tyrell crossed his arms over his chest and watched Elliot curiously. This was an unexpected turn of events.

“I had to wash my face. Hard to breathe here,” Elliot lied huskily. He was sweating and his hands were still shaking. 

Tyrell scoffed impatiently which made Elliot look at him again. “There’s no reason to lie, Elliot,” his features turned soft, “I just wanted to know your weakness. And now I do.” 

Drug abuse sure was a new piece of information. Tyrell hadn’t come across any kinds of mentions of it. It made Tyrell realize again how much he still didn’t know about Elliot. It was thrilling, there was still so much left to discover. 

“Even extraordinary people, and I believe you are, are driven by human banalities. I-” Tyrell was interrupted by the ringing of his phone. He answered the call, his eyes never leaving Elliot. It’s his assistant, reminding him about his next appointment. Tyrell hung up, feeling disappointed. He really wished they had more time.

“Unfortunately, for now, I have to interrupt our time together. My assistant just informed me about my next appointment. It’s not at E Corp, so I have to drive there.”

“Oh.. sure,” Elliot said, taken by surprise.

“I’ll arrange a cap for you to get you back. Don’t worry, E Corp will cover the bill.”

“Okay,” Elliot replied hesitantly.

Before leaving, Tyrell grabbed Elliot by his shoulders, his thumbs caressing him lightly. “You take care, Elliot. Maybe we can repeat this soon.” He winked at him, then turned around and left. 

Even though Tyrell regretted having to leave, he was still in an incredibly good mood. He couldn’t remember the last time a person had filled him with such excitement and he intended to enjoy it to the fullest.

Maybe with the help of Elliot, his life could finally feel worth living again.

 

-

 

 **To: Mr. Robot**  


> **(7:20)** How was your day? 😘

**To: RedWheelBarrow**  


> **(8:30)** pretty good tbh

**To: Mr. Robot**  


> **(8:31)** Oh yes? 

**To: RedWheelBarrow**  


> **(8:31)** yeah...

**To: Mr. Robot**  


> **(8:31)** What made it so good?

**To: RedWheelBarrow**  


> **(8:42)** i hung out with someone  
>  **(8:42)** we had lunch  
>  **(8:44)** it was nice  
>  **(8:44)** less awkward than usual  
>  **(8:45)** hes nice  
>  **(8:46)** im hungry tho  
>  **(8:46)** it was really early  
>  **(8:46)** like  
>  **(8:46)** 10am  
>  **(8:47)** youd probably dig that

**To: Mr. Robot**  


> **(8:47)** You didn't have anything to eat since then??  
>  **(8:47)** What makes you think that?

**To: RedWheelBarrow**  


> **(8:48)** no..  
>  **(8:48)** just a guess  
>  **(8:48)** you seem like an early riser  
>  **(8:48)** with all your early texts and all that  
>  **(8:48)** makes only sense that you eat earlier too  
>  **(8:49)** brb  
>  **(8:49)** gotta get sth to eat

**To: Mr. Robot**  


> **(8:49)** Well, you got me there.

**To: RedWheelBarrow**  


> **(8:57)** i knew it  
>  **(8:57)** haha

**To: Mr. Robot**  


> **(8:57)** “haha”?  
>  **(8: 57)** Did I really just make you laugh? 

**To: RedWheelBarrow**  


> **(8:58)** shut up  
>  **(8:58)** ofc not

**To: Mr. Robot**  


> **(8:58)** 😂  
>  **(8:58)** Anyway.  
>  **(8:59)** You’re hinting at potential competition, did I get that right? 

**To: RedWheelBarrow**  


> **(9:01)** i mean  
>  **(9:01)** let’s just say  
>  **(9:01)** you gotta keep up, man  
>  **(9:02)** or in your words  
>  **(9:02)** 😏

**To: Mr. Robot**  


> **(9:02)** Ohhh, the battle is on! 😏

**To: Mr. Robot**  


**(9:05)**

> **To: RedWheelBarrow**  


> **(9:05)** DUDE  
>  **(9:05)** thats not  
>  **(9:05)** STOP  
>  **(9:05)** why are you like this  
>  **(9:05)** what are you going for

(Mr. Robot is typing...)

 **To: Mr. Robot**  


> **(9:05)** Your reaction is basically what I was going for. 

(Mr. Robot has stopped typing...)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Mr. Robot is typing...)

 **To: RedWheelBarrow**  


> **(9:11)** hasn’t your mom like  
>  **(9:11)** told u not to send nudes to total strangers on the internet

**To: Mr. Robot**  


> **(9:12)** Maybe I’m naughty and don’t listen to everything my mama told me. 😉

**To: RedWheelBarrow**  


> **(9:12)** obviously

**To: Mr. Robot**  


> **(9:12)** Sorry if I caught you off guard.  
>  **(9:13)** I can have that affect on people. 😏

**To: RedWheelBarrow**  


> **(9:14)** tbh  
>  **(9:15)** after everything i shouldn’t even be surprised anymore  
>  **(9:15)** it’s just a lot to take in okay

**To: Mr. Robot**  


> **(9:15)** I take that as a compliment.

**To: RedWheelBarrow**  


> **(9:16)**...  
>  **(9:16)** i served you that one

**To: Mr. Robot**  


> **(9:17)** Like tuna on a platter.

**To: RedWheelBarrow**  


> **(9:17)** holy shit youre gay

**To: Mr. Robot**  


> **(9:18)** I identify as bisexual, actually. But I guess I can be a little .. “out there” if you will.  
>  **(9:18)** Does it matter?

**To: RedWheelBarrow**  


> **(9:19)** not at all  
>  **(9:19)** you do you man  
>  **(9:19)** its just  
>  **(9:20)** surprising

**To: Mr. Robot**  


> **(9:20)** Why?

**To: RedWheelBarrow**  


> **(9:22)** idk  
>  **(9:23)** guess you don’t seem like the type at first glance

**To: Mr. Robot**  


> **(9:24)** I mean, what's the saying?  
>  **(9:24)** “Don’t judge a book by its cover” right?  
>  **(9:25)** Granted, this cover is very pretty, I can’t blame anyone for getting distracted.  
>  **(9:25)** Or focusing their attention on my good looks. 😏

**To: RedWheelBarrow**  


> **(9:25)** dude

**To: Mr. Robot**  


> **(9:26)** Not that it matters, all the attention I need is yours. 😘  
>  **(9:26)** And I got it, so all is good.

**To: RedWheelBarrow**  


> **(9:27)** i don’t even know what to say

**To: Mr. Robot**  


> **(9:27)** I rendered you speechless, I take that as a compliment.

**To: RedWheelBarrow**  


> **(9:27)** oh man..  
>  **(9:29)** its just  
>  **(9:29)** you don’t even know me  
>  **(9:29)** or what i look like  
>  **(9:30)** and you’re going through so much effort

**To: Mr. Robot**  


> **(9:30)** I’m getting to know you.  
>  **(9:30)** And do you think I am that superficial to care about looks?

**To: RedWheelBarrow**  


> **(9:30)** you are on this platform  
>  **(9:31)** showing off your body  
>  **(9:31)** talking about how you distract ppl with your looks  
>  **(9:31)** so yes

**To: Mr. Robot**  


> **(9:31)** Well, true.  
>  **(9:32)** Not in this case, though. You intrigue me.  
>  **(9:33)** But you know.. you could always show me. 😏  
>  **(9:33)** I’d love to know what you look like.

**To: RedWheelBarrow**  


> **(9:36)** what makes you think i’d do that

 

 **To: RedWheelBarrow**  


**(10:57)**

> **To: Mr. Robot**  


> **(10:57)** Oh..  
>  **(10:57)** Wow.  
>  **(10:58)** The only critique I have is that the image is a little small. 😉  
>  **(10:58)** But you sure have nothing to be shy about. 

**To: RedWheelBarrow**  


> **(10:59)** uh  
>  **(10:59)** thanks?  
>  **(10:59)** i guess

**To: Mr. Robot**  


> **(11:00)** I know what I’ll be thinking about the next time I get off. 😏

**To: RedWheelBarrow**  


> **(11:00)** DUDE  
>  **(11:01)** WHAT THE FUCK  
>  **(11:01)** just  
>  **(11:01)** shut up

**To: Mr. Robot**  


> **(11:01)** ❤️  
>  **(11:01)** Good night, Mr. Robot.

****

**To: RedWheelBarrow**  


> **(11:08)** gnight 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The picture Elliot sends Tyrell is an actual screenshot. I found a gif of Rami Malek where he's shirtless, a couple of minutes fooling around on Gimp and I had something I could use. The person I used for Tyrell's picture is some beautiful human being I found with the power of google. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a picture of Martin Wallström that fit my idea.
> 
> Oh, wow, I'm still in disbelieve that it took me seven months to finish chapter two. I had my reasons but.. still.. I feel really bad for letting you all wait so long. 
> 
> Let me explain what happened: First, I lost my phone. Which ofc had ALL my notes and future fic ideas on it. That really threw me in a loop and I was way too frustrated to write properly. After that, the videocard of my computer broke. It actually happened while I was working on this chapter. The house I live in is shit, blackouts happen regularly in my apartment. The entire apartment, not just one room, mind you. Ofc there was a blackout while I was writing. I lost a little bit of progress, not too annoying so I felt confident after I came back from the cellar (to power on the fuse y'know) **but** it had affected the videocard and I couldn't operate my pc on a bearable resolution.
> 
> After I FINALLY got a new videocard, this chapter turned out to be a pain in my ass. It really made me question my writing skills way too often. Add that to my daily struggle with depression and anxiety. I'm not trying to find excuses, I'm just trying to explain myself. 😣 I don't wanna make any promises either because I don't wanna let anyone down. I can only repeat just _how_ important this project is to me. Updates will come. 
> 
> I still don't have a beta reader and it's more than likely that I missed typos and/or other mistakes.  
> I don't know a lot about programming/hacking either, huge thanks to my boyfriend who helped me out a bunch. It got to the point where I had to stop him because I'm not getting paid for this and I think the way I described these scenes is enough lol. If anyone is willing to correct/educate me, you're more than welcome to dm me. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!! <3
> 
>  **random fact about the writer:** the lack of lube in fics makes me worry how many of you assume anal sex either has to hurt or works without prep (which it doesn't. Unless you're into that kind of discomfort/pain. And before anyone tries to come for me: Yes, I can speak from experience 😝)


End file.
